Le Moulin de l'Abbaye

Romance oozes out of every last stone and lace curtain at this old-world address, enviably at home in a handsome foliage-stitched mill on the Dronne riverbanks. Views of the surrounding village of Brantôme are enchanting and dining in the Michelin-starred gastronomic restaurant is unforgettable.

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Location

9/10

It could not be more picture-perfect. Moulin de l’Abbaye languishes idyllically on the banks of the River Dronne in Périgord Vert, within a stone’s throw of Brantôme’s monumental abbey. The medieval village’s landmark Pont Coudé legs it across the water right in front of the hotel: monks built the odd right-angled bridge in 1538 to access their hemp field the other side of the river. The Roman town of Périgueux, with its weekly food markets and tasty truffle culture, is 15 miles south and the nearest airport is Bergerac, a 75-minute drive.

Style & character

8/10

Moulin de l’Abbaye is the Dordogne’s original luxury hotel, since 1978. It is part of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux collection and its traditional ivy-clad façade, with sky-blue wooden shutters, has lost none of its old-world French charm. The historic mill sits plump on the river and the huge wheel that once ground grain, spun and wove wool and even provided electricity turns purely for visual pleasure these days.

Service & facilities

7/10

Four-star, friendly and faultless. Reception staff are very happy to advise guests on canoeing, sightseeing and other activities to do in the area, and the hotel has a gorgeous riverside sun deck with its loungers made for lapping up the sun rays and handsome waterfront views. Garage parking costs €5 (£4) pr night.

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Rooms

8/10

Eight deluxe rooms languish in the mill, and there are 12 cheaper doubles in two other old buildings – one tucked beneath troglodyte rocks opposite the hotel and another a short walk across the park. Each room is named after a different wine: Château Margaux and Petrus are the best in the house, with hot tub and sun-lounger twinset on an intimate rooftop terrace.

Décor is classical, with soft carpets, period furniture and regal colour palettes of rich gold and salmon, taupe and turquoise etc. Courtesy trays come with floral bone china and bathrooms are traditional, with organic olive-oil soap and herbal-enriched shower products by Damana.

Food & drink

9/10

Breakfast is a refined feast of croissants, breads, homemade cakes, eggs, fruit and so forth, served in the formal restaurant or pretty riverside garden. Chef Loic Lecoin gained his first Michelin star in 2017 and dining in his riverside restaurant is a treat (open dinner Wed-Sun, lunch Fri-Sun mid Mar to mid Oct). The garden setting by the water is magical and the cuisine a homage to the culinary riches of Dordogne in every season. Lunch/dinner menus start at €39 (£34) and climax with a sensational multi-course tasting menu (€110/£98).

Indulge in delicious, downright decadent dishes such as duck breast with roast apricot and glazed turnip, blue lobster with a foie gras- and black truffle-stuffed artichoke, or the finest French chicken money can buy (from Bourg-en-Bresse in Burgundy) with foie gras and black truffles. End with a sweet Limousin apple, slow-baked for 10 hours and served with homemade cider sorbet.

For less elaborate meals (two-/three-course menus from €22/26 (£20/23), the chef signs off the menu in two village bistros serving regional cuisine: Au Fil du Temps, a rôtisserie Périgourdine specialising in meat; and Au Fil de l’Eau, a summer address with a dreamy waterfront terrace where Renoir would have been right at home (open May to September).